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J3880

LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Rabbi Michoel Ber Weissmandl posthumous-
ly upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of a Liberty Medal,
the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the New York State
Senate

WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon the people of the State of New York to
recognize and acknowledge those within our midst who have made signif-
icant contributions to the quality of life therein; and
WHEREAS, From time to time this Legislative Body takes note of certain
extraordinary individuals it wishes to recognize for their valued
contributions to the success and progress of society and publicly
acknowledge their endeavors which have enhanced the basic humanity among
us all; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Rabbi Michoel
Ber Weissmandl posthumously upon the occasion of his designation as
recipient of a Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an indi-
vidual by the New York State Senate; and
WHEREAS, The New York State Senate Liberty Medal was created in 2000
and is awarded to individuals who have merited special commendation for
exceptional, heroic, or humanitarian acts on behalf of their fellow New
Yorkers; and
WHEREAS, Rabbi Michoel Ber Weissmandl was instrumental in providing
the United States with situational awareness of the Jews in Europe,
specifically regarding Auschwitz, the largest and most notorious of the
Nazi concentration camp networks, which ultimately led to a halt to the
deportations of the remaining Hungarian Jewry; and
WHEREAS, Rabbi Michoel Ber Weissmandl's daring efforts to save the
Jews of Slovakia from extermination at the hands of the Nazis during the
Holocaust included helping to establish the "Working Group," an under-
ground organization which raised funds to negotiate ransom with German
and Slovakian officials in order to delay mass deportations and, via the
famous Europa Plan, to secure the release of Jews; and
WHEREAS, Rabbi Michoel Ber Weissmandl was also able to smuggle letters
and telegrams to leaders with abilities he hoped would help save the
Jews of Europe, including President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and
Winston Churchill and alerting them to the progressive Nazi destruction
of European Jewry; in addition, he provided actionable intel in terms of
where the railroads and crematoriums should be bombed; and
WHEREAS, The courage, wisdom and tenacity of this determined man laid
the groundwork for several rescue missions, including the Mantello
Mission, and the Wallenberg Mission, which freed tens of thousands of
Hungarian Jews; and
WHEREAS, Rabbi Michoel Ber Weissmandl's combined actions, by some
accounts, has amounted to being responsible for as many as two-thirds of
the Holocaust survivors living in Brooklyn; and
WHEREAS, Today, more than 55 years after his death, the bravery and
willingness of Rabbi Michoel Ber Weissmandl to fight for the lives of
his fellow human beings, and to secure the very existence of future
generations of European Jews, continues to inspire, and is deserving of
the highest honor by all defenders of freedom; and
WHEREAS, Individuals such as Rabbi Michoel Ber Weissmandl devoted to
improving the quality of life for others, enabling them to build lives
of dignity and self-worth are deserving of the highest praise and recog-
nition; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Rabbi Michoel Ber Weissmandl posthumously upon the occasion of his

designation as recipient of a Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed
upon an individual by the New York State Senate; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Rabbi Michoel Ber Weissmandl.

actions

07 / Mar / 2014

REFERRED TO FINANCE

11 / Mar / 2014

REPORTED TO CALENDAR FOR CONSIDERATION

11 / Mar / 2014

ADOPTED

Resolution Details

Law Section:

Resolutions, Legislative

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